Optimization of Reaction Typed Water Turbine in Very Low Head Water Resources for Pico Hydro

The purpose of this research is to investigate the dominant parameters that influence the optimum performance of reaction typed turbine at very low water head. The concepts of conservation of mass, momentum and energy are utilised to explore performance characteristics using a graphical technique. Parametric analysis of the governing equation and experimental results were performed to show that the turbine diameter and nozzle exit area has a dynamic response to mass flow rate, angular speed, output power and efficiency. Depending on the nozzle diameter of (0.01 m, 0.006 m, and 0.008 m) and turbine pipe size with (diameter of 0.025 m and 0.015 m), six versions of prototype turbine Z-blade turbine were produced. All the turbines have been tested at 100 kPa static water pressures and below. According to a variety of experimental data for all types of turbines, the turbine diameter and nozzle exit area have a substantial impact on turbine performance, especially at high water heads. Despite differences in turbine length and nozzle exit area, more than 90 % of the pattern curves for rotational speed, water flow rate, and mechanical power were identical. Overall, the Z-blade turbine Type B outperforms, resulting in higher turbine efficiency at low head and low flow water condition.

A study and comparison of the modes of diffusion combustion of hydrogen and methane at their outflow from the annular nozzle together with the flow of supplied air from the coaxially located circular nozzle

The article presents qualitative data on the study of the process of diffusion combustion during the outflow of a gas jet from a nozzle apparatus with a certain arrangement of nozzles. The nozzle apparatus is a round nozzle with a straight channel and a coaxially located annular slot. In the experiments, hydrogen or methane was supplied through an annular slot, and the air was supplied through a central circular micro nozzle. The main features of the diffusion combustion of hydrogen and methane during the outflow from the nozzle apparatus are revealed and a qualitative comparison of the processes is carried out. In both cases, at the initial stage, laminar combustion is observed near the nozzle exit and a breakthrough of the flame front occurs with the release of an incombustible mixture of combustible gas and air. At a high flow rate, the flame separates from the nozzle exit. The fundamental difference is that hydrogen exhibits significantly better combustion stabilization characteristics at the nozzle exit.

Influence of Cross-Wind on CO2 Arc Welding of Carbon Steel

The purpose of this study is to develop a novel welding torch with high wind resistance, which can be used for welding outside a building under strong cross-wind. In this paper, a parametric study was carried out using different torch nozzle designs and shield gas flow rates for their optimization. The gas flow around the torch nozzle exit was visualized through the shadowgraph method to evaluate the interaction between the shielding gas flow and the cross-wind. Nitrogen fraction in a weld bead was measured for confirming the shielding effect. Furthermore, CFD simulation was also carried out for obtaining shielding gas flow velocity at the torch nozzle exit. From the result of the above experiments and simulation, effective parameters for improving the shielding effect against the cross-wind were comprehensively discussed. As a result, the nitrogen fraction was found to be decreased by increasing the averaged vertical gas velocity at the torch nozzle exit. For achieving this, it is especially effective to decrease the nozzle diameter or increase the gas flow rate.

Numerical Analysis of the Interactions between Plasma Jet and Powder Particles in PS-PVD Conditions

Plasma spray-physical vapor deposition (PS-PVD) refers to a very low-pressure (~100 Pa) deposition process in which a powder is injected in a high-enthalpy plasma jet, and mostly vaporized and recondensed onto a substrate to form a coating with a specific microstructure (e.g., columnar). A key issue is the selection of the powder particle size that could be evaporated under specific spray conditions. Powder evaporation takes place, first, in the plasma torch between the injection location and nozzle exit and, then, in the deposition chamber from the nozzle exit to the substrate location. This work aims to calculate the size of the particles that can be evaporated in both stages of the process. It deals with an yttria-stabilized zirconia powder and two commercial plasma torches operated at different arc powers with gas mixtures of argon and helium or argon and hydrogen. First, it used computational fluid dynamics simulations to calculate the velocity and temperature fields of the plasma jets under very low-pressure plasma conditions. Then, it estimated the evaporation of the particles injected in both plasma jets assuming an isothermal evaporation process coupled with momentum and heat transfer plasma-particle models in a rarefied plasma. The calculations showed that, for different powers of the Ar–H2 and the Ar–He operating conditions of this study, the heat flux from the plasma jet to particles inside the torch is much higher than that transferred in the deposition chamber while the specific enthalpy transferred to particles is comparable. The argon-helium mixture is more efficient than the argon-hydrogen mixture to evaporate the particles. Particles less than 2 μm in diameter could be fully evaporated in the Ar–He plasma jet while they should be less than 1 µm in diameter in the Ar–H2 plasma jet.

DETERMINING THE EFFECT OF NOZZLE GROOVE ON THE FLUID FLOW THROUGH VISCOUS 2D PLANAR FLUID

The study aims to determine the effect of nozzle groove on fluid flow through viscous 2D planar fluid. To fulfil the study’s aim, numerical method was adopted to introduce grooves of different dimensions from the nozzle exit. The study adopts SoldWork software was used to design nozzles and introduce groove shaped nozzles, each consisting of six different designs. The nozzle base model used in this study was similar to the one used in a previous study. The procedure was performed with different pressures (8, 10, and 12 bar) at the similar firefighting nozzle. The velocities contours were predicted based on the choice of nozzle section during the numerical stimulation. The results of present study demonstrated a new approach that can be used for increasing velocity at various types of modified nozzles through grooves at different pressures and locations. For grooves, dimensions 1×1 (mm) and location 15 mm at 8 bar, 10 bar and 12 bars showed no effect on velocity as it reduces velocity by increasing surface area. The velocity increases with increasing pressure in proportion relationship. This clearly explains that the groove has no effect on velocity as it increases due to increase in pressure. This is because the groove reduces the velocity by increasing surface area. The study concludes that use of groove increases velocity of water that further improves nozzles operation.